Foot-piece for cultivators.



J. H. MYERS.

FOOT PIECE FOR CULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. I916.

1,21 9,342. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

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J. H. MYERS.

FOOT PIECE FOR CULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. I916. 1,219,342

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR l/{yera ATTORN EY JIM H. MYERS, OF RUNGE, TEXAS.

FOOT-PIECE FOR CULTIVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917,

Application filed November 18, 1916. Serial No. 132,229.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J 131 H. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Runge, in the county of Karnes and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Foot-Pieces for Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved foot piece for cultivators, and it has for its object to produce a foot piece of simple and improved construction whereby the cultivator blade will be held in ground engaging position resiliently with sufficient force to maintain it properly in position in varying conditions of the soil.

A further object of the invention is to produce a device of the class described wherein the degree of force with which the blade is maintained in ground engaging position may be conveniently varied.

A further object of the invention is to produce a device of the class described in which the angle of the ground engaging blade may be quickly and conveniently changed.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and improved device of the class described wherein when an obstacle is encountered by the blade, the latter will yield to such obstacle without the breakage of parts, the blade being restored to proper ground engaging position automatically as soon as the object has been passed.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a foot piece constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation a d p ly in ect on sho g the cultivator An L-shaped standard A, which is secured a on the cultivator beam 15 by means of a clamp 16, includes a long vertical arm 17 and a relatively short forwardly extending approximately horizontal arm 18. B designates an L-shaped lever having a long arm 19 which is slotted or bifurcated at 3-0 for the reception of the arm 18 of the standard A with which it is pivotally connected at the forward end thereof by a pivot member 21. The L-shaped lever has at its rearward end a downwardly extending relatively short arm 22. Pivoted on the lever B at the angle thereof by means of a pivot member 23 are links 2 1, the rearward ends of which are connected together by a pin or bolt 25 carrying a' spacing member 26, whereby said links are spaced apart. The forward ends of the links 24 are pivotally connected with a saddle 27 by means of a pivot member 28, said saddle straddling the long arm 19 of the L-shaped lever B. The standard 17 has at its upper end a bracket 29 provided with an aperture 30 for the reception of a sleeve 31 provided with a shoulder 32, whereby the upward movement of said sleeve is limited. Extending upwardly through the sleeve 31 is the threaded end of a bolt 33 carrying a nut 34: which may be tightened against the sleeve 31. The bolt also extends through an aperture 35 in the saddle 27, and the bolt is provided at its lower end with an eye 36 engaging a slot 37 in the long arm 19 of the L-shaped lever B where said bolt is secured by a pivot member 38. A spring 39 is coiled about the bolt 33 between the saddle 27 and the sleeve 31, and it will be seen that by tightening the nut 34, the sleeve may be forced downwardly through the bracket 29, thereby tightening the spring to vary the tension thereof.

The blade carrying shank C of the device is provided with a slot 40 for the passage of a heel bolt 41, whereby the blade 42 is secured in position on the shank in such a manner as to be vertically adjustable. The shank is bifurcated to form upwardly extending arms 43, see Fig. 6, said arms having elongated heads 44 each of which is pro vided with a slot 45. The outer faces of the heads 44 are corrugated for engagement with similarly corrugated washer plates 46, each having a collar 47' surrounding the aperture therethrough. The heads 44 are assembled with the washer plates by means of a bolt 48 having a sleeve or spacing member 49, whereby the heads are maintained in spaced relation when the nut 50 is tightened on the bolt 48. The links 51, the rearward ends of which are assembled with the links 24 by the pivot member 26, are pivoted at their forward ends on the collars 47 of the washer plates 46, enabling the bolt 48 to be tightened so as to secure the washer plates in adjusted position on the heads 44 without interfering with the freedom of pivotal movement of the links 51. The bi-. furcated portion of the shank C is assembled with the short arm 22 of the L-shaped lever B by a pivot member 53. It will be ob served that, the parts being assembled, the angle of the blade 42 with respect to the surface of the ground may be varied by proper adjustment of the bolt 48 and washer plates 46 with respect to the slotted heads 44 of the blade carrying shank.

The standard 17 is provided with a stop member 54, whereby the upward movement of the long'arm of the lever-B about the axis of the pivot member 21 will be limited.

When the parts are properly assembled for operation, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the spring 39 will exert'a downward tension on the saddle 2'7 and thereby also on the forward ends of the links 24 and on the long arm of the lever B, whereby the parts will be maintained in proper position for operation, as' seen in Fig. 1 of'the drawings. By adjusting the nut 34 on the bolt 33 the tension of the spring 39 may be varied'to hold the earth engaging blade in ground engaging position with the requisite degree of force to enable said blade to yield slightly if soil stiffer than ordinary should be encountered. Under such conditions, the lever B will swing about the axis of the pivot member 21 until the stop member 54 is encountered. If an obstacle, such as the stump of a tree or a boulder should be encountered by the cultivator blade, theblade carrying shank will rock about the axis of the pivot member 53, tilting the links 51 and 24 in opposite directions, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3, and causing the saddle 35 to move upwardly on the bolt 33*against the I tension of the spring 39, the tension of said spring being exerted, assoon as the obstacle has been passed, to restore the parts to their initial position. The bolt 33 has been shown as being bent or curved so as to enable the saddle to move thereon in the desired manner.

It will be seen that with a device constructed as herein described, the blade may be set or adjusted to any desired angle; the

but as soon as the obstacle has been passed,

the blade will be automatically restored to its normal or 1n1tial position, thereby saving tune to the operator as well as the expense which is frequently made necessary by the restoration of broken parts in devicesof ordinary construction. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is I 1. In a device of the class described, a standard having a forwardly extending arm at its lower end, a bifurcated spring actuated lever connected pivotally with said arm, a stop member on the standard lying in the path of the lever and obstructing upward movement thereof, a downwardly extending arm at the rearward end of the lever, and a blade carrying shank pivoted adjustably on said arm.

7 2. In a device of the class described, astand- 'ard, a pivotally supported lever having a downwardly extending arm, a spring actuated saddle, a guide member for the saddle pivotally connected with the lever, a blade carrying shank pivoted on the downwardly extending arm of the lever, links pivoted on the lever and having their forward ends pivotally connected with the saddle, heads formed on the blade carrying shank, and links connecting said heads with the rearward ends of the first mentioned links;

3. In a device of the class described, a pivotally supported L-shaped lever having a downwardly extending arm, a bolt pivotally connected with the lever, a bracket having a sleeve through which the bolt is guided,

a nut for effecting relative adjustment of the bolt or sleeve, a saddle guided on the bolt, a spring coiled on the bolt between the saddle and the sleeve, a blade carrying shank pivoted on the downwardly extending arm of the lever, and a connection between said shank and the saddle, said connection including links pivoted at the angle of the lever and having their forward ends pivotally connected with the saddle, and other links pivotally connected at their forward ends with the blade carrying shank and at their rearward ends with the first mentioned links.

at. In a device of the class described, apivotally supported L-shaped lever having a downwardly extending arm at its rearward end, a bolt pivotally connected with the lever, a bracket having a sleeve through which the bolt is guided, said sleeve having an offset abutting on the underside of the bracket, a nut on the bolt bearing against the upper end of the sleeve, a saddle guided on the bolt, a spring coiled on the bolt between the sleeve and the saddle to exert downward pressure on the saddle and on the lever straddled thereby, a stop member to limit the upward movement of the lever, a blade carrying shank pivoted on the downwardly extending arm of the lever, and a jointed connection between the shank and the saddle.

5. In a device of the class described, a piv otally supported Lshaped lever having a downwardly extending arm at its rearward end, a bolt pivotally connected with the lever, a bracket having a sleeve through which the bolt is guided, said sleeve having an offset abutting on the underside of the bracket, a nut on the bolt bearing against the upper end of the sleeve, a saddle guided on the bolt, a spring coiled on the bolt between the sleeve and the saddle to exert downward pressure on the saddle and on the lever, a stop member to limit the upward movement of the lever, a blade carrying shank pivoted on the downwardly extending arm of the lever, and a jointed connection between the shank and the saddle, said jointed connec tion including bearing members adjustably connected with the shank, links pivoted at the angle of the lever and having their for ward ends pivotally connected with the saddle, links pivotally connected with the bearing members 011 the shank, and a pivotal connection between the two sets of links.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JIM II. MYERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

